Bridle bit



se ta, 1970 SW N ON 3,527,023

IBRIDVLE BIT Filed March 25, 1968 I i 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 24% ao F162 7 INVENTOR.

v NAOMI BY HER AT'T NE Y Sept. 8, 1970 N. s. SWANSON BBIDLE BIT 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed March 25, 1968- ,r/cas N A OMi (7 FIGS United States Patent O 3,527,023 BRIDLE BIT Naomi S. Swanson, Challis, Idaho 83226 Filed Mar. 25, 1968, Ser. No. 715,790 Int. Cl. B68b 1/06 US. Cl. 54-8 4 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A bridle bit which includes a first side piece having an elongated sleeve afiixed thereto; a second side piece having a shaft aflixed thereto sized to slide into the interior of said sleeve to form a bit bar between said side pieces; and positioning means coacting between said side pieces to hold them at a maximum spacing. Means can be secured to the sleeve and shaft for restricting rotational movement of the shaft within the sleeve.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This invention relates in general to a bridle bit for horses and the like.

It is common practice to use bridle bits for controlling the movement of horses, mules, and other similar animals as they are being ridden. Such bits generally include a bar, adapted to be positioned in the animals mouth behind its teeth, which is connected at its opposite ends to side pieces affixed to bridle straps. Conventional bridle bits can easily lacerate or otherwise injure an animals mouth if it is suddenly jerked, and in such circumstances, even when the animals mouth is not injured, the bit can be a source of pain and irritation. As a result, it is difficult, and in some cases virtually impossible, to position a conventional bit bar between the animals teeth after it has experienced such pain and irritation because after being thus abased, the animal will not open its mouth.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is the principal object of this invention to provide a bridle bit that can be easily positioned in an animals mouth even when the animal will not open its teeth, which hit is simple in design and inexpensive to construct.

Briefly, the invention comprises a bridle bit having a first side piece with an elongated sleeve afiixed thereto and a second side piece with a connected elongated shaft sized to slide into the sleeve to form an elongated bit bar between said side pieces. Positioning means coact between the side pieces to hold them at a predetermined maximum spacing. Preferably means are secured to the sleeve and shaft for restricting rotational movement therebetween.

So that the invention may be more readily understood and carried into effect, reference is made to the accompanying drawings which are offered by way of example only and are not to be taken as limiting the invention, the scope of which is defined by the appended claims which obviously embrace equivalent structures.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS bit of this invention.

Patented Sept. 8, 1970 ice FIG. 2 is a top view of one form of the bridle bit.

FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken in the plane of line 3-3 of FIG. 2 looking in the direction of the arrows.

FIG. 4 is a top view of a modified form of the bridle bit of this invention.

FIG. 5 is a sectional view taken in the plane of line 55 of FIG. 4 looking in the direction of the arrows.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS In the drawings there is shown a bridle bit 10 having opposite side pieces 12 and 14 interconnected together with a bit bar. The side pieces are generally elongated metal strips having ringed opposite ends for afiixing them to bridle straps in a well-known fashion. The bit bar comprises elongated sleeve 16 and coacting shaft 18 which is sized to slide into the interior of sleeve 16. Sleeve 16 is aflixed at one end to side plate 12 and shaft 18 is affixed at one end to side plate 14. With shaft 18 inserted in sleeve 16 side pieces 12 and 14 can be maintained at a predetermined maximum spacing to properly fit the animal upon which it is fitted with positioning means such as bolt 20, passed through sleeve 16 and shaft 18, and nut 22. To maintain the side pieces substantially parallel a key 24 which coacts with keyway 26 can be provided on shaft 18 and sleeve 16. It is conventional to position the bit bar at an angle substantially normal to the side pieces of the bridle bit. When this configuration is desired sleeve 16 is secured substantially perpendicular to piece 12 and shaft 18 is secured substantially perpendicular to piece 14. It is, however, within the scope of this invention to angle the side pieces to converge together.

A modified form of the invention is shown in FIGS. 4 and 5. In this embodiment shaft 28, affixed to side piece 12, extends entirely through sleeve 30 which is connected to face piece 14 and through a bore hole in the face piece. A nut 32 can then be screwed on the end of shaft 28 which protrudes beyond the outside surface of face piece 14 to hold the face pieces at a predetermined maximum spacing. In another embodiment sleeve 30 can extend outwardly beyond the outside surface of face piece 14.

In using the bridle bit of this invention the bit bar is separated by removing bolt 20 or nut 32 and the elongated shaft is then slipped behind the animals teeth without requiring said animal to open its mouth. When the shaft is thus inserted the sleeved portion of the bit is inserted behind the teeth from the opposite side of the animals head and onto the previously inserted shaft to form a continuous bit bar between side pieces 12 and 14. The pieces are then fixed with bolt 20 and nut 22 or nut 32, depending on the type of bit bar used, at a spacing determined by the size of the animals head.

Whereas there is herein illustrated and specifically described a certain preferred construction which is presently regarded as the best mode of carrying out the invention, it should be understood that various changes may be made and other construction adopted without departing from the inventive subject matter particularly pointed out and claimed.

What is claimed is:

1. A bridle bit comprising a first side piece; an outwardly extending sleeve member affixed to said first side piece in alignment with an opening provided in said first side piece; a second side piece; an outwardly extending shaft member afiixed to said second side piece and slidably extending through said sleeve affixed to said first side piece to form a bit bar between said first and said second side pieces; and removable positioning means connected with the end of said shaft member extending through said sleeve to limit the first and second side pieces at a predetermined maximum spacing.

2. The bridle bit of claim 1 wherein means are affixed to said shaft member and said sleeve member to pre vent rotational movement of said shaft member in said sleeve member.

3. The bridle bit of claim 2 wherein said sleeve member is substantially normal to said first side piece and said shaft member is substantially normal to said second side piece.

4. The bridle bit of claim 1 wherein said sleeve member is substantially normal to said first side piece and said shaft member is substantially normal to said second side piece.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 492,666 2/1893 Driscoll 54-8 799,602 9/1905 Johnson 548 1,678,532 7/1928 Preece 547 HUGH R. CHAMBLEE, Primary Examiner 

